Central Valley or North Bend?

The merging Center Area and Monaca school boards will most likely decide between the two names for its new consolidated school district next month.

Faced with four potential names last week, the school boards talked about choosing a fifth and ended up deadlocked.

So a committee charged with guiding the selection process decided last night to go back to the school boards with two of the names -- Central Valley and North Bend.

The 18 members of the boards will meet to select a new name Feb. 12.

The two names were among the top four that students in both districts voted for on Dec. 18.

"The thing about Central Valley and North Bend is that it sends a message that we did listen to kids in both districts," Center Area Superintendent Dan Matsook said.

Several committee members, however, favor combining the names into either Center-Monaca or Monaca-Center. Several said they believed the student vote was not intended to be binding.